Vulcanizer



March 14, 1944.

A. W. FERRE ET AL VULCANIZER Filed March 28, 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet l March 14, 1944. A. w. FERRE ET AL VULCANIZER Filed March 28, 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Mar. 14, 1944 VULCANIZER Albert W. Ferre, Wellesley, and Charles E. Blanchard, Randolph, Mass, assignors to B. F. Sturtevant Company, Boston, Mass.

Application March 28, 1942, Serial No. 436,576

7 Claims.

This invention relates to vulcanizers and relates more particularly to vulcanizers for rubber covered wires.

It is the practice in vulcanizers for rubber covered wires to pass the wires through a plurality of parallel vertically extending tubes and to supply superheated steam into the tubes for supplying the heat necessary for vulcanization of the rubber. In prior vulcanizers of this type, air heated by gas fired units was supplied into pipes around and spaced from the above mentioned tubes, the heated air preventing heat losses in the superheated steam for maintaining it in gaseous form. Disadvantages of such vulcanizers were that the gas fired air heaters were expensive and provided fire hazards.

A feature of this invention resides in utilizing steam instead of heated air for preventing heat losses in the superheated steam.

Another feature of this invention resides in utilizing ejector type air seals for preventing the escape of the superheated steam with its chemical vapors into the apparatus rooms. by drawing in room air.

Objects of the invention are to simplify vulcanizers for rubber covered wires and the like; to reduce their cost, and to improve their efficiency.

The invention will now be described with reference to the drawings, of which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation with portions in section of a vulcanizer tower embodying features of this invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged View illustrating how the air seal at the lower end of one of the vertical 1 tubes of Fig. 1, is provided;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged view of one of the vertical tube assemblies of Fig. 1 without the insulation, and illustrates how the superheated steam is introduced, and how the steam for preventing heat losses in the superheated steam is supplied, and

Fig. 4 is an enlarged view of the diifuser of Fig. 3, for introducing the superheated steam.

As is known, the wires to be vulcanized pass vertically through the centers of the tubes 5 while during their passage through the tubes the rubher which previously is deposited thereon, is vulcanized by the application of superheated steam to the surface of the rubber.

With reference to Figs. 1 and 2, the tubes 5 have placed therearound the larger tubes 6 and the insulation 1 is placed around the tubes 6. In Figs. 3 and 4 the insulation I is not shown.

As illustrated by Figs. 3 and 4, superheated steam is supplied into the inner tubes 5 through the diffuser consisting of the perforated supply pipe 30 and the enlarged connecting pipe i around the pipe 30. The high velocity of the superheated steam is reduced so that it cannot displace the rubber covered wire which is moving vertically and centrally through the tube 5. The supply pipes 30 are thus connected to the tubes 5 at points about one-eighth the distance from the lower ends of the outer tubes 6 to their upper ends.

The steam for maintaining the superheated steam in gaseous form is supplied into the outer tubes 6 through the inlets 8 (Fig. 3) and is drawn with the condensate out through the outlets 9 and returned through the usual traps to the steam boiler. This steam circulates completely around the tubes 5 through which the superheated steam is applied, and by preventing the escape of heat from the superheated steam, maintains it in gaseous form while it is in the vulcanizer.

The superheated steam may be supplied at about five pounds per square inch pressure at a temperature of about 400 F. and the heating steam may be supplied at a pressure between 180 and 250 pounds per square inch and at a temperature corresponding thereto.

As illustrated by Figs. 1 and 2, each of the tubes 5 has adjacent its lower end, connected therein the ejector fittings I0 which include the nozzles 4. The fittings ID are connected by the piping I2 to the header I3, which in turn, is connected to the inlet of the fan I4. The outlet of the fan I4 is connected as shown by Fig. 1, to the ducts I5 and I6 which communicate with the outdoor atmosphere.

The upper ends of the tubes 5 have connected thereon the fittings H, which may be fittings similar to the previously described fittings II], connecting the interior of the tubes by piping to the header I8 which in turn is connected to the inlet of the fan I9. The fan I9 discharges through the duct 20 into the outdoor atmosphere. The connections of the fittings Il to the header I8, and of the header I8 to the fan I9, are similar to the corresponding connections illustrated by Fig. 2. I 5

In operation superheated steam is supplied into the tubes 5, and heating steam into the tubes 6 as previously described, for providing the vulcanizing heat. The lower fan draws in room air through the open lower ends of the tubes 5, this air having its Velocity increased by passage through the nozzles 4. The suction of the fan prevents the superheated steam in thepipe 5 from exhausting into the apparatus room,

through the open lower ends of the tubes 5 and causes it with the room air, to be drawn into the fan and exhausted into the atmosphere, the room air thus providing an air seal. 7

An important feature of the fitting H! with its nozzle 4 is that the condensate from the superheated steam instead of dripping onto the floor of the apparatus room as occurred in previous vulcanizers, is prevented by the; air jets through the nozzles 4 from falling through the lower ends of the pipes 5 and is caused to be drawn by the action of the fan into same and to be forced by the fan intothe outlet duct I6 (Fig. 1) from which it may be withdrawn through the connection 2|. This condensate contains chemicals as a result of the contact of the superheated steam with the chemically treated wire, and it is imincluding a fan adjacent the upper ends of said tubes for drawing in air through said upper ends forming an air seal and for drawing in superheated steam from said tubes, and means includportant that it be prevented from escaping from the vulcanizer. V

The upper fan I9 in a similar manner draws room air through the'open upper ends of the pipes 5 together with the superheated'steam from the pipes 5 and forces the mixture through the duct 23 into the atmosphere. Since there is no necessity for recovering the condensate in the fittings ll, they need not contain nozzles such as thenoz'zl'es 4 in the fittings l9, and may be ordinary T pi e fittings.

Through the superheated steam being drawn off by the fans, adjacentboth endsof'the tubes Of may be suggested by those skilled in the art 7 I without departure from the essence of the invention.

What is claimed is:

ljA vulcanizer for rubber. covered wire and the like, comprising a plurality of upwardly extending tubes through which'the wire passes, means for admitting superheated steam into said tubes at points intermediate the ends "thereof, said tubes having open upper and lower ends, means including a fan adjacent theuppe'r ends of said tubes for drawing in air through said upper ends forming an air seal and for drawing in superheated steam from said tubes, and means including a fan adjacent the lower ends o'f'said tubes for drawing in air through said lower ends and for drawing in superheated steam from said .tubes, said last mentioned means including means for preventing. thepassage of moisture from said lower ends.

.2. A vulcanizer for rubber covered wire and the like, comprising a pluralityv of-upwardlyextending tubes through which the wire passes, means for admitting superheated steam into said tubes, at points intermediate the ends thereof, said. tubes having open upper and lower ends, means including a fan adjacent the upper ends ofsaid tubes for; drawing in air. through said upper ends forming an air sea] and for drawing in superheated steam from said tubes, and means including a, fan'adiacent the. lower ends of said ing a fan adjacent the lower ends of said tubes for drawing in air through said lower ends and for drawing in superheated steam from said tubes, said last mentioned means including converging air nozzles through which the roomair from said lower ends passes for preventing the passage of moisture from said lower ends and for causing the moisture to be drawn into said last mentioned fan.

4. A vulcanizer for rubber covered wire and the like, comprising a plurality of upwardly extending tubes through which the wire passes, means for admitting superheated steam into said tubes at points intermediate the ends thereof, said tubes having open upper and lower ends, outer tubes around said tubes, means for admitting steam into and removing steam and condensate from, said outer tubes, means including a fan adjacent the upper ends of said tubes for drawing in air through said upper ends forming an air seal and for drawing in superheated steam from said tubes, and means including a fan adjacent the lower ends of said tubes'ior drawing in air through said lower ends and for drawing in superheated steam from said tubes, said last mentioned means including means for preventing the passage of moisture from said lower ends.

5. A vulcanizer for rubber covered wire and the like, comprising a plurality of upwardly extending tubes through which the wire passes, means for admitting superheated steam into said tubes at points intermediate the ends thereof, said tubes having open upper and lower ends, outer tubes around said tubes, means for admitting steam into and removing steam'and condensate from, said outer tubes, means including a fan adjacent the upper ends of said tubes for drawing in air through said upper ends forming an air seal and for drawing in superheated steam from said tubes, and means including a fan adjacent the lower ends of said tubes for drawing in air through said lower ends and for drawing in superheated steam from saidtubes, said last mentioned means including means for preventing the passage of moisture from said lower ends and for causing the moisture to be drawn into said last mentioned fan.

6. A vulcanizer for rubber covered wire and the like, comprising a plurality of upwardly extending tubes through which the wire passes, means for admitting superheatedsteam into said tubes at points intermediate theends thereof, said tubes and means including a fan adjacent the lower ends of said tubes for drawing in air through said lower ends and for drawing in superheated steam from said tubes, said last mentioned means including converging air nozzles through which the room air from said lower ends passes for preventing the passage of moisture from said lower ends and for causing the moisture to be drawn into said last mentioned fan.

7. A vulcanizer for rubber covered wire and the like, comprising a plurality of upwardly extending tubes through which the wire passes, means including diifusers for admitting superheated steam into said tubes at points intermediate the ends thereof, said tubes having open upper and lower ends, outer tubes around said tubes, means for admitting steam into and removing steam and condensate from, said outer tubes, means including a fan adjacent the upper ends of said tubes for drawing in air through said upper ends forming an air seal and for drawing in superheated steam from said tubes, and means including a fan adjacent the lower ends of said tubes for drawing in air through said lower ends and for drawing in superheated steam from said tubes, said last mentioned means including converging air nozzles through which the room air from said lower ends passes for preventing the passage of moisture from said lower ends and for causing the moisture to be drawn into said last mentioned fan. ALBERT W. FERRE. CHARLES E. BLANCHARD. 

